Juan Francisco Ramos made his first puppet at five or six years old in El Salvador, where he grew up. His mom would head off to work and lock him in their apartment.
When he got bored, he cut up rubber balls and unraveled socks. He drew eyes and a mouth on the ball, and glued the sock’s threads on as hair. He stuck his handmade characters out the window to perform for other kids, who gave him candy in return.
Now, Ramos has been performing theater for children for more than 40 years. His latest shows in Indianapolis will be a Spanish-language retelling of “The Emperor’s New Wardrobe,” a Hans Christian Andersen tale that teaches kids about pride and honesty. You can see the monthly shows from February to April at IF Theatre.
If you go
“El Traje Nuevo Del Emperador”
🗓️ 3 p.m. Feb. 15, March 15 and April 19
📍 IF Theatre, 719 E St Clair St.
🎟️ $15 for adults, $5 for kids
The main character is the emperor, played by a puppet Ramos made and operates. He’s a vain ruler who spends his kingdom’s money on fabric that a designer tells him is the most magnificent material in the world — but it’s invisible to anyone who is stupid or a thief.
Ramos debuted “El Traje Nuevo Del Emperador,” his rewritten version of the play, at the 2025 Indy Fringe Festival, and it was the first-ever Spanish show at the festival.
“People who came on the first day came back to a different show, bringing other people,” Ramos said in Spanish, with his daughter translating. Although the show is for children, Ramos wants adults to come enjoy it, too. His goal is to make it funny, not just to explain a moral lesson.
“Give yourself a chance to come dream, just like your children dream,” Ramos said.
Related
El primer show de teatro en español de IndyFringe trata sobre el valor de la verdad
IndyFringe’s first performance in Spanish is a puppet adaptation of “The Emperor’s New Wardrobe,” by a theater company from El Salvador.
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